Nowadays, it seems like boots are designed for a specific positions and the players that wear the boots generally play the marketed positions. It is much rarer to see a forward sporting “heritage boots” or even a hard hitting center back wearing “speed boots”. So with all the hype surrounding boots being for a certain position, which pro players have taken the road less traveled and worn what they want? Believe it or not, it is very rare when you see a player wearing a type of boot not designed for their position.

But, there are still some players left, and most seem defiant to stick it out in their line of boots. Among the few are some very notable players, such as Loïc Rémy and Chicharito. Here is a list of players to check out.

Loïc Rémy – Nike Tiempo Legend V

Rémy is one of the faster players to play the game, yet he does so in a boot not focused on speed? Surely he should wear the Mercurial Vapor to compliment his playing style? I guess not, but perhaps he favors the touch and comfort the recently released Tiempo Legend V offer.

Javier “Chicharito”Hernandez – Nike Tiempo Legend V

Chicharito may not be seeing much playing time at Manchester United, but perhaps he will be able to use his Tiempo Legends more if the rumored summer transfer actually happens. Similar to Loïc Rémy, he seems like a player whose playing style would be a better fit with Mercurials or Hypervenoms.

Chico Flores – Nike Mercurial Vapor IX

The Swansea City defender Chico Flores has stuck it out with the Mercurial Vapor IX and has even scored multiple times this season with them. He is known for his strength and heading accuracy, especially because he has scored from a corner this season. It’s just different seeing a center back in Vapors, but maybe he just likes the lightweight fit and feel that they offer.

Daniel Agger – Adidas F50 adiZero Leather

Agger is one of the best examples of players that wear what they want. He is still sporting the second generation adidas F50 leather and loving it! I wonder where he gets his boots because I for one know that adidas no longer makes them. Perhaps he has a secret collection, or maybe he finds his boots on eBay. However, he will have to be at his best if he hopes to contribute to Liverpool’s fine form towards the end of this season.

Stevan Jovetić – Nike Tiempo Legend V

Although Stevan Jovetić has been injured for a large part of this season, you can expect him to see increased first team playing time if he can find his old form. However with Agüero rumored to be returning to training, Jovetić and his Tiempo’s have a will have to act fast to find some time before Agüero returns.

Andy Carroll – Umbro Speciali IV

The big West Ham striker has returned to premier league play, and he does so in a pair of Speciali IVs. To be fair, I think the Specialis match his playing style, but we usually see forwards in speed boots. He is a big figure and more often than not, he is used as a target man who excels in powerful shots and strength in the air.

Antonio Valencia – Nike Tiempo Legend

Another Manchester United player that favors the Legends is Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorian midfielder is another speedy player, but at least he has a greater focus on dribbling and passing as a midfielder. However, I still feel he would be better off in “speed” boots as he gets forward a lot and helps contribute in the attack.

MLS Goalkeepers in F50 Adizeros

Although the MLS is in its offseason, many of their goalkeepers such as Bill Hamid were last seen wearing F50s, and many will likely return and the newest models of the boots. F50s are more suitable for attacking players so it’s rare for us to see defenders wearing them, but goalies? Keepers generally prefer boots that offer supreme traction and sometimes a power element. The Puma EvoPower, Tiempo Legend, and Predator LZ seem to be the boot dominating the feet of most pro goalkeepers.

Victor Valdes – F50 Adizeros

Another keeper in Adizeros has been Victor Valdes. The Barcelona keeper has been wearing Adizeros for the past few weeks after a long period of time where he wore a South American brand named Penalty. Valdes made a significant appearance in his last Champions League game against Manchester City, a game he kept a clean sheet in.

Do you wear boots that aren’t “designed” for your position? Let us know in the comments below!

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About Ethan Edwards

Ethan is our guy who is going to take things to the next level as a SoccerCleats101 pro player. He is set to play on one of the best high school soccer teams this Spring (Blacksburg HS, VA) and will be providing us with news and reviews from a competitive standpoint.
Find him on Twitter if you want to talk High School soccer!

I wear whatever I feel is right for that day. I am a multi-purpose defender and I could easily switch to speed boots when I play outside, but most of the time I wear leather boots. Some of the Synthetic boots I own are not of the lighter variety either. I have some T90 Laser IV, some Asics Lethal Flash DS, and some Pirma Monaco Win. I basically wear whatever feels good for me on that particular day. Also, I want to share a deal with some of the readers. Currently on soccer.com I found two color ways of the Lotto Stadio Primato K (in all white and all orange) in pretty much every size. They are on backorder so you might have to wait a while to get them. However I got two pairs for $60 dollars because I am a Goal Club member and I had a 10 dollar gift card. Basically for the price of one pair when they were released you can get three if you wanted to. I can't wait to get mine since I had a pair a year ago and have been hard pressed to find more of them. Now I can have my precious Stadios again.

I do believe that you wear whatever position you are playing.I primarily play as a striker but the two boots I have worn are Nike CTR360 and Adidas Nitrocharge.It has been really good wearing those two boots especially when playing forward

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